MitchRyan

Empowered Kids Corner: Unconventional Toy

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Jill Duggar and Derrick Dillard’s Baby No. 2 Gender Reveal

Posted on February 2, 2017September 24, 2017 by Ms. Elle

They say being pregnant is like having one foot in the grave. Well for me, it really felt like it. I had problems conceiving my second child to start with, and so the entire pregnancy was a roller coaster ride. Nevertheless, expecting a new member of the family is truly an exciting one.

I bet everyone in the Duggar family is excited to know the gender of Jill’s baby no. 2. Jill and her husband Derrick just announced on Monday, January 30th, via a TLC video, that, their second child…

is…a…BOY!

The happy parents of Israel, now 2 years old, happily revealed together in a video clip that they’re having a another baby boy. Israel, who was too young to understand what was going on, was excited only because the people around him were excited too. That’s cute!

Jill said that she’s excited about the new boy on the way and she’s confident that Israel and his baby brother are going to be best friends.

The lovely couple tied the knot in June 2014 and were very eager to start a family as soon as possible. As reported back in December, Jill and Derick announced that they were expecting a second bun in the oven. And now, we’re happy that the son continues to develop well and is super healthy. Indeed another son is on its way.

This reality star couple, along with their two-year-old son, Israel, are expecting the new member of the family this coming July. 5 more months and another cute Duggar will be born!

Jill announced the news by doing a fun scavenger hunt, together with her younger siblings. Now that was fun! Congratulations to Jill and Derrick!

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Practices Which Could Put Child’s Play Time to a Minimum

Posted on January 13, 2017December 10, 2017 by Ms. Elle

“To a child playing is learning.” ∼ MitchRyan

Play is one of the most important factors for normal developmental growth in any child. It is a child’s world, as a matter of fact it could be the only world for them. In this world a child learns to solve problems, venue for their creative minds, and learn things around them like color, shapes, learn to do things like grasp, crawl, balance, and understand the concept of cooperation, negotiation, and give and take. These in effect lead to the development of more sophisticated cognitive, affective, and psychomotor tasks along the way.

Modern times, however, has curtailed child’s play time to almost nothing. Our lifestyle is so structured towards getting things done that 24 hours is not enough. People are busy making a living leaving no moments for play, and relaxation. Why is this? It’s because doing so is a waste of time. It seems like these days are all about competition, profit, and innovation. Although these are excellent goals, these on the other are all result oriented. Hence the process leading to the result is given the least priority which thwarts a child’s normal developmental growth. As parents if we want to see our children grow to become great individuals who have achieved their fullest potential then we must start looking into the process of making great individuals.

Now, here are practices which I think put child’s play time to a minimum.

Kids taking up too many after school classes and/or lessons on the weekends
Too much screen time
Obsession on having high scores (mostly parents)
Class ranking and competition especially during the early years
Early school years inappropriate curriculum. For example, some schools give emphasis on writing and listening, thus, the series of writing books, long hours of sitting. Kids are reprimanded for not holding pens properly and are branded having ADHD because they could not sit for long hours.
Too many homework

Reality bites! The degree may vary from one culture to the other but sadly these are true. These and many other practices run havoc on our child’s play time which, to reiterate, is one sure process for children to engage in a meaningful learning, develop social and affective skills. Play should be treated as a form of lifestyle for children.

Playing is a child’s lifestyle.∼ MitchRyan

4 Extracurricular Activities for Your Kids

Two Absolutely Important Reasons Why Parent Should Engage Kids In Outdoor Activities

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What Happens When Mood Swinger Mom Meets Drama Queen Daughter?

Posted on November 23, 2016September 23, 2017 by Ms. Elle

The struggle is real, believe me. The result depends on what side of the mood spectrum is Mom at that moment.

From experience a drama queen is always a drama queen at all times, may she be dealing with simple or complicated things.

The gravity of the impact lies on the mood of the moment. When Mom is in the mood, circumstances are dealt with calmly, patiently, and even humorously. However when Mom is in a dark mood, a petty circumstance could mushroom into an atomic bomb within seconds.

As a Mom, this is a great parenting concern. I’ve realized and seen the negative effects of my blurting out and “mismanagement” during those times when I’m in a lighter mood. But like what I’ve mentioned, it is a tremendous task. It is a struggle that up until now is unresolved.

Moms out there who might be in the same boat as I am or if you happen to know of someone who was able to successfully overcome this, please do share your thoughts below. It’d be deeply appreciated.

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The Science of Eye Color for Kids

Posted on November 21, 2016September 24, 2017 by Ms. Elle

My husband who is into photography photoshopped our daughter’s eyes to green. This has ignited strings of questions from our kids. Why is your eyes light brown? Why are mine dark? How come my friend has blue, but her mom’s a bit green? What are hazel eyes? Is there Derick eyes and Summer eyes too? (My son and daughter’s respective names).

These are quite challenging questions. It has been years since I had my Genetics class. My memory has become a bit rusty. But no sweat, www.thrombocyte.com, has the answers I need.

Human Eye colors are controlled by 15 different kinds of genes which work in a rather complicated manner as oppose to Davenport’s dominant/recessive theory. This, by the way, was the explanation years back.

Today, it is said that three-fourths of brown/blue color spectrum is controlled by the gene OCA2, and a mutation in this part gives individuals very light colored eye, hair, and skin. Also, a few number of other genes like TYRP1, ASIP, ALC42A5 exert great influence on how an individual appears phenotypically. These genes work in and around the production of melanin. Melanin is a pigment present in the eyes, skin, and hair which account for the dark color of these body parts. It is located in a compartment like structures called melanosomes which in turn are capsulized in melanocytes within the iris and skin. These genes and many others work together and determine the melanin levels which give individuals a range of color from dark to hazel and to blue.

Now, this is totally Greek to my kids. So, I showed them this illustration (from the internet) and explained that light colored eyes have few, light colored melanin. While those who have very dark colored eyes have many dark colored melanin in their eyes. Liken melanin to a paint or color pencil for example.

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Garden In The City

Posted on August 30, 2016May 25, 2018 by Ms. Elle

City living is comfortable and preferred by most but there is something in the country which, if given the chance, I would definitely have in the city, gardening. There seem to be no place for it anymore. Scarce and pricey lots and spaces have made it impossible. Owning a big place in the city has become a privilege. So the idea of gardening is just seem infeasible.

But then again there is nothing impossible to creative and resourceful minds. Coupled with a desire to have some organic food on the table, I made my own garden in the city. Re-using large plastic water bottles and containers (that could not be recycled because of Phthalates), wooden cabinet, and even my kids’ baby bath tub, I planted some veggies like malabar nightshade, bitter melon, cilantro, ginger, garlic, tomato, and bell pepper. Since then, my family has enjoyed some great, tasty, hot soup from my garden’s produce. This is my first attempt, so things are a bit topsy-turvy. However I plan to organize things and maximize the our teeny-weeny veranda into a mini jungle as my kids would say. My garden may not look like what it is in the country. But for me this is a garden, a garden in the city. No matter what situation we are in we could always turn it around to our advantage.

Aside from this, there are other few things we can do/learned from gardening.

It’s a good way to teach children about plants- parts, needs, and how to take care.
Watering plants is a household chore that even a 4 year old will enjoy.
Planting is a tangible and great way to instill in children the love for nature.
It shows children the value of eating healthy, organic vegetables.

Are you into gardening? How big is your garden, the real one or a garden in the city like mine?

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BEST TIPS TO CONTROL DUST MITES

Posted on July 29, 2016September 23, 2017 by Ms. Elle

Dust mites love to breed in moist areas like your bed. You could be sleeping in with possibly thousands or even millions of dust mites lurking in your bed. Experts say that there are approximately up to 2,000 microscopic cousins to spider in just an ounce of mattress dust.

Crazy!

And that could lead to a lot of health problems such as skin allergy and asthma. Dust mites can be pretty hard to eliminate, but if you take small effective steps constantly, this can help reduce their numbers in time.

Here are some easy tips to help you.

1) Deprive Mites of Moisture

Dust mites die when there is insufficient moisture in the air. So always keep humidity levels low. You can use a dehumidifier to maintain your room’s humidity level to something in between 30 to 50 percent. Another great way is to use waterproof mattress pad to cover vinyl mattress, and a vinyl covered pillow with zipper to seal and protect your pillows.

2) Keep your room cool

Dust mites do not just live with moisture but also thrive in warm weather. To fight back and reduce dust mites, one way is to keep your room temperature low. Open your windows to get some fresh air and cool down your room.

3) Wash bedding weekly, in hot water

Wash your mattress pads, blanket and duvets for at least once a month, pillow cases and sheets at least weekly in hot water above 130 degrees. A temperature of 130 degrees and F are what kills dust mites.

4) Flip and Vacuum regularly

Your mattress should also be flipped regularly, recommended every time your season changes. You also have to clean your mattress regularly by vacuuming. Regular vacuuming will keep your mattress clean and sanitized. Remove all the bedding and sprinkle a mixture of baking soda and essential oil. This removes odor, dust and bacteria on your mattress. Vacuum your mattresses every time you flip them. If you have some extra budget, invest in a vacuum with HEPA (high efficiency particular air) filter which is designed specifically to suck up allergens.

5) Buy washable toys

Even if how cute they are, stuffed toys can accumulate dust quickly and is not recommended to sit on your bed. But if you insist, opt for toys made of plastic or those washable toys that you can wash regularly together with your beddings.

6) Use allergen blocking covers

Protect yourself from allergens by encasing your mattress and pillows with allergen blocking covers. These covers prevent dust mites from making your bed their real estate.

7) Use Protection

Stains can be pretty hard to remove so definitely, avoid messy mishaps to your mattress. But it is quite inevitable to not mess your mattress no matter how keen you are to avoid staining it. So a great way to protect your mattress is by using mattress pads. Mattress pads shield your mattress from food spill over, blood, urine, sweat and other possible stains.

8) Clean stains

In the event that you forgot to put on a mattress pad and you spill over some coffee, make sure to clean them right away. You can use an upholstery shampoo or dry suds to remove them. Dry suds are an alternative way of cleaning stains. This is made by mixing a quarter of detergent liquid and a few teaspoons of water.

Bed bugs and dust mites are some of the leading causes of asthma and other allergies. And these allergens are mostly found in our beds. It’s the time to fight back. Use these great tips to reduce stubborn allergy causing substances in your bed. And you should be able to relax and sleep at ease knowing that you have a clean and healthy bed to sleep with!

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Relationship Changes When You’re Becoming a Parent

Posted on November 16, 2015November 16, 2015 by Ms. Elle

There is no doubt that parenthood changes relationships; many couples reject the idea of having a baby because they are afraid their relationship will be affected. Less time spent together, having to take care of someone who is completely dependent on you, and the need to cover for extra expenses make any mom or dad-to-be feel worried.

But let me tell you something: your relationship will change anyway.

Everything transforms as time goes by, and so do relationships, no matter if you have children or not. And there’s a different way to look at the problem – yes, becoming a parent will change the relation you have with your partner, but it does not necessarily need to be a bad change, if you know how to cope with it.

Are you ready for the challenge of becoming a parent? Here’s what to expect and how to get over the most common pitfalls:

Unresolved issues in your relationship reappear

A new baby puts an extra strain on your relationship, and issues you have been sweeping under the rug suddenly reappear, exactly when you don’t need conflicts and have less time and energy to manage them. It’s important to discuss and deal with these problems before the baby arrives – pregnancy is the moment to balance and strengthen your relationships and get prepared for difficult times.

The quality of communication changes

Many couples experience decreased marital satisfaction during the transition to parenthood because the quantity and quality of their communication both decrease. It becomes more difficult to talk spontaneously as topics like childcare become more important and prevail over others.

The only cure is to make an effort and find the time needed to reconnect every day, even if it’s just for 10 minutes. Think of an activity you could give up so you communicate with your partner – instead of spending time on social networks or obsessing over minor housekeeping stuff, choose to spend some valuable time with your partner.

The baby becomes the center of your world

A common mistake that many new parents make is investing all their energy in the new baby. The most important topics become doctor appointments, getting the baby’s room ready, and even looking for preschools. After the baby’s arrival, new issues arise and they continue to become more important than your relationship.

There are some things that new parents need to understand though: your baby doesn’t need you 24/7, you cannot make things perfect, and, above all, having a healthy relationship with your child depends on the relationship you already have with your spouse. Your marriage or relationship should stay at the base of your new family, so remember to invest time in it as well!

You have higher expectations from your partner

As a new parent, you become more demanding with yourself because you want to offer the best to your child, and you start having higher standards for your partner as well. Many fathers feel that whatever they do to help with kids or housekeeping, it’s never enough. Give up the consuming determination to get everything right and understand that good is better than perfect, which doesn’t even exist, after all.

Giving your baby everything he or she requires to be happy and healthy is simpler than you think; and what the new member of the family needs, above all, is two parents who love each other and have a strong relationship.

By the Couple Clinic, a company of Winnipeg couples counsellors (www.winnipegcouplesclinic.ca).

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